Furnace grate



o 1932. A. w. BENNl$ 9 9 FURNACE GRATE Filed Jan. 8, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet l Aug. 30, 1932. w 15 1,875,213

FURNACE GRATE Filed Jan. 8. 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 PTTOFPA/DG Aug. 30, w BE s 1,875,213

FURNACE GRATE Filed Jan. 8. 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 //VV[/VTOR 4 M Arm/W5);

I Patented Aug. 30, 1932 FURNACE GRA'IE 7 Application f led January 8, 1930, Serial No. 419,349, and in Great Britain March 9, 1929.

The present invention relates to furnace grates and more particularly to grates of the travelling chain type. V In travelling chain grates, due to the vaa riation in conditions under which the grate must work, it is often necessary to take up and; let out slack in the chains and links or grate bars forming the. endless travelling chain grate, and complicated mechanism has been necessary in order 'to accomplish this. The object of the present invention is to devise a simple means for doing this.

In many cases at the present time,-the catenary ofthe lower traverse or run of ,15 a travelling chain grate engagesat its lowest point with a stationary skid bar, and this skid bar is used intravelling. chain grates both in the horizontal type and in that type in which-the upper run or traverse of the grateis inclined tothe horizontal.

According to the present invention the skid bar is displaced to distortthe catenary of the lower run or traverse of the grate and to take up a proportion of the load on the upper run or traverse of the grate caused bythe catenaryof the lower traverse-or run, thus slackening the chains and links or bars forming the endless run'of the grate. J "A number of skid bars each extending longitudinally of the grate may be provided "at spacedintervals across the grate or further, a single support may be provided in the form of a skid plate, this plate extending longitudinallyof the grate and across the whole or the major portion of the width of the grate. Y

- The skid bar or plate which may either be horizontally disposed orinclined to the horizontal, may be vertically displaced so that its face is adapted to take up any one of a number of positions in parallel planes, or further, the skid bar may be pivoted at or near one end and its other end adapted tobe displaced about said pivot.

, 'Agaim'each skid bar or the skid plate may be substantially triangular in section with its, hypotenuse engaging with the catenary of the lower traverse of the grate. Each skid" bar or the skid plate may be mounted on rollers whereby it'maybe displaced longitudinally of the grate to act substantially inthe form of a wedge, displacement longitudinally of the grate in one direction, raising the lower run or traverse of the chains and links or grate bars, while longitudinal displacement in the other direction allows the lower run or traverse of the grate to approach the catenary position.

Means are provided for retaining each skid bar or the skid plate in any displaced to position. i

The invention is more particularly described with reference to the accompanying diagrammatical drawings, in which Figure 1 diagrammatically shows, in side elevation, a travelling chain grate with the lower catenary supported on one form of skid bar. I

Figure 2 diagrammatically illustrates a modified form of construction of skid bar.

Figure 3 diagrammatically shows a further modifiedform of skid bar.

Figure a diagrammatically shows a still further modified form of skid bar.

In the construction according to Figure l of the drawings, the travelling chain grate consists ofan upper run 10 and a lower run 11. The lower run is supported on skid bars 12 which are mounted on a frame 13. The

frame 13 is supported on wheels 14 through '80 bearing brackets 15, said wheels being adapted to be displaced along horizontal rails 16.

It will be seen from a study of Figure 1 that the skid bars 12 being inclined and the rails 16 being horizontal, the whole frame 13 forms, in effect, a wedge. For the purpose of displacing the frame together with the skid bar from the position shown in full lines to the position shown in chain dotted lines, thereby to allow the lower catenary of the grate to assume a more natural position and to take up slack in the upper run of the grate,

a worm wheel 17 mounted on a shaft 18 having a squared .or'other manipulative end 19 drives a worm wheel 20 to which is attached through a shaft 21 a drum 22 around which a wire rope 23 is wound.

This wire rope extends from the drum 22 beneath the skid bar to the rear end of this and passes around a fixed idler pulley 24 and i thence back again for connection at itsother becomes tight when-further movement o f the trated in Figure-2fthev skid. bars which are' illustrated at 26am horizontally disposed irrespective: of their position of adjustment.

end at to the skid bar. 7 I I On winding the drum 22in the direction to tighten the rope the skid bars are drawn to the'right of Figure 1 thus lifting the lower run of the chain, Whilst on loosening the Wire rope by unwinding the drum the; skid bar frame 13 automatically moves [to the left in Figure 1 to takeup a position as indicated in chain dotted lines line, until the rope again skid bar is prevented.

' In this case, the skidgbarsyare mounted on the rear end: of the grate whilst its front end screw jacks 27 :at both-the front; andrear of.

the grate", these vscrew 'acks being-intercom nected by a tie bar 28, whilst a further-ti@. bar 29 is provided between one-screwjack and a fixed part of the grate structure; shown as a part of theashpit walla: The usual gearile liistrated diagrammatically at 3 0 is supplied for adjusting the heigl1t.of.themovable sup,- port 31 of the screw jacks. I a i Inthe construction-1' illustrated .in Figure 3 is lmount'ed upon adisplaceable member 34 of 'a screw jack 3 5., The ski-d b'ar in itszlow 1 A est "positionof adjustment; is "illustrated in this drawing in chain dotted lines. i

In the constructi" nIaccord-mg to Figured; a horizontalskid -bar is mounted on; a frame 37 fo'rjdisplacement with wheelsu38 7 along inclined rails BQcarriedQby the bed 13 7 ofthe ashpit. Inf'order tozeifectthisdisplacement thejfront'of the frame 37 is connected to-arigid'rodv orthe like draw means 40 pass ing through a stationary part of the furnace 4:1, displacenient; of'thedraw means40; being efieoted by a screw and'nut'jor' a jack as diagrammatically illustrated at 42. I

It will be obvious thatnumerous other I modified forms of construction.ofadjustable or 'displyac'eab'le skid bars may readily be devised withoutdeparti'ng from: the scope of i so the invention. 7

I declare that what I claim is t i 1.}A furnace grate comprising a traveling endless chain including an upper run which 7 'form's;.thefuel supporting surface of the grate and alower rundepending'therefrom,

a sli idba-r for supporting a portion of the weight of; the lower run of the chain, and

means whereby the skid bar maybe moved toward'or from the u'pperrun,

2. A furnace grate comprising a traveling endless chain" including an "upper run "which iformsthe fuel supporting surface 'of the grate "and a lower run depending therefrom, means lfocatedgbeneath'the lower run for supporti in'g ajportioniofthe weightof 'the lower run ofthe' grate, and means for adjustin githe' po-- 'said upper run. I V J V '7. A-furna'ce gratehcomprising aqua-val;

lower run is supported thereby.

3. A furnace grate comprising aftraveling endless chain including an upper run which forms the fuel supporting surface ,'of I the f grate and a lower run vdepending therefrom, 7 means fordrivlng-sald chaunmeansfor supporting a portion of the lower run in travel, and devices for'varying the vertical position of said supporting means whereby lower run. 7 1

e; tosupporta greater or lesser partofsaid In the modified form of construction inns- 4. A'furnace grate comprising atraveling endless chain including an upper run" which I forms th fuel supporting? surface. ofiit grateand alowerlrun. depending therefrom, means for dr1v1ng;sa1d-cha'1n cZleast, one

displace-able skid: bar for supporting-a portionof'the; weight of the lower r1111},fa-nd means to hold said skid bar-in; anyone of a number of positions relative to said-Fl pper run whereby to vary"theportion ofthe'weight "ofrsaid lower run supported by said skid bar.

v 5."A furnace grate comprising a;tr,aveling; endlesschain including an upper-run which forms-thef1iel supporting surface offthe' grate and a lower run, means; located inter- V mediate the ends of said runsfl for;supporting a portion of the weight of thellowerlrun of the chain, andfltdevices forlvarying' the vertir cal position of said "supporting 'means'. "1} 6. A furnace grate; comprising traveling endless ichain including an uppenrunwhich forms the fuel supporting} surface lof the, grateand I a flower run depending" therefrom,

.atgleast oneiskid bar for isupportingthelowr I runof the. gratepandimeansforadjusting said skid bar to support a vari'able' portion of the weightof said l'owerf' run whe-rebyito vary the pull exerted by said' lowerrunupon from, atleast one skid bar positioned toenmg endless chain inclu'ding 'zan upper run I which forms the fuel supporting surface of no i th ef grate wand a lowerrunxdepending there gage with the lower run and tosupport aI-portion ofthe said'lower run, and means opera able to: vary the position of saidski'dibarreL, atively to said upper'run to distort saidlow'er run to a variable e-xtenttotakeup a predeterk mined proportion of the "load on the -uppei' 1 run causedby the weight of' said lower 1111111 v 8. A furnacegrate comprisingkatraveling endless chain including an upper'runwhich I -forms-the fuelfsupporting surfaceof the grate,fand= a. lower run depending: therefrom,

grate, andialowerrun' depending therefrom? and, means for adjustably distorting; the i lower run, of: the grate whereby to varythe itensiional pull thereof upon theiupper run, v 9;. A furnace grate-comprising a tr aveling', I end-less chain including an upper ru'n which i forms the fuel i supporting "surface of the j a plurality of skid bars at predetermined spaced intervals across and beneath said grate for supporting a portion of the weight of the lower run of said chain and means for displacing said skid bars relative to said upper run and for retaining them in their position of adjustment.

10. A furnace grate comprising a traveling endless chain including an upper run which forms the fuel supporting surface of the grate, and a lower run depending therefrom, a plurality of skid bars at spaced intervals across and beneath the grate for support ing a portion of the weight of the lower run of said chain, a bed for the support of said skid bars inclined relatively to the supporting surface of said skid bars, and means for adjusting said skid bars along said bed and for retaining them in their adjusted position.

11. A furnace grate comprising a traveling endless chain including an upper run which forms the fuel supporting surface of the grate and a lower run depending therefrom, a member having a wedge shape in a vertical plane parallel to the direction of travel of the chain for supporting a portion of said lower run, fixed means for providing a support for the bottom surface of said wedge shaped member and extending at an angle to the upper run of the chain, and means for displacing the member parallel to the direction of movement of said chain whereby to support a greater or lesser portion of the lower run of the chain.

12. A traveling chain grate comprising an endless chain including a horizontal upper run which forms the fuel supporting surface of the grate, and a lower run depending from each end of the upper run, at least one skid bar having a horizontal upper surface for supporting said lower run, rollers on which said skid bar is mounted, an inclined bed for the support of said rollers and screw means for adjusting said rollers and skid bar along said bed and for retaining them in their adjusted position.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name this 18 day of December, 1929.

' ALFRED WILLIAM BENNIS. 

